In an October during which just about everything had gone right for the New Jersey Devils while winning eight of their first nine games, the same cannot be said for their No. 1 goalie.
Jacob Markstrom, brought in two summers ago, to shore up the team’s shaky net-minding and give them a veteran presence in net, is off to an absolutely horrendous start. After getting roughed up in his first two games against Carolina and Tampa Bay, Markstrom got hurt in a relief appearance against Columbus on Oct. 13
and hadn’t played since.
He made his long-awaited return to the Devils’ net Tuesday night at Ball Arena in Colorado and probably wishes he hadn’t.
Victor Olofsson had a hat trick and set up two other goals and Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist as the Avalanche positively shelled the big Swedish goalie en rout to an 8-4 win over the Devils.
Markstrom was simply dreadful Tuesday night. He dumped the Devils in a 2-0 hole before the game was even four minutes old, and things only got worse from there. Colorado scored three more times on Markstrom in the first half of the second period and the rout appeared to be on.
The game appeared to be over after Parker Kelly’s goal at 8:39.
Former Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood has had New Jersey’s number for years. In six games against his ex-team, Wedgewood was 4-0-0 with a 1.02 goals against average, and a .965 save percentage.
But the Devils weren’t done.
Stefan Noesen, Dougie Hamilton, Dawson Mercer, and Jack Hughes all scored in a 4:04 stretch to get the Devils within a goal at 5-4.
Noesen scored his first of the year just 1:29 after Kelly’s goal off a feed from Paul Cotter in the bottom left circle to get the Devils on the board.
A little under two minutes later Hamilton made a nifty play to glove down a puck and flick it past Wedgewood at the left post.
Mercer would pick up his fourth of the year at 13:42 on a nice passing play with Nico Hischier.
And when Jack Hughes netted his ninth of the year at 14:12 on a sharp-angle shot the Devils were back in the game at 5-4.
But with Hamilton in the box for tripping MacKinnon the Avs regained a two-goal lead just 1:12 after the Hughes’ goal when MacKinnon went five hole on Markstrom to make it 6-4.
New Jersey escaped the second down two but Markstrom let Olofsson score on a wrist shot just 3:10 into the third to make it 7-4. Olofsson finished the hat trick at 17:38.
Takeaways
The comeback was impressive and it’s a shame they couldn’t finish it off. The injuries have started to accumulate and Sheldon Keefe mixed up his lineup a bit. Juho Lammikko and Seamus Casey were making their season debuts and the Devils were without Brett Pesce for the first time this season. The loss of Cody Glass also hasn’t helped matters any. So the Devils maybe weren’t as buttoned down as they had been earlier in the streak.
But the biggest takeaway is the awful performance from Markstrom. Eight allowed on 42 shots for an .810 save percentage. In four games this season he has a 5.18 GAA and an .827 save percentage. And they were talking a contract extension. Pretty sure Nico Daws can allow over five goals a game for way less money.
It was a first game back from injury and maybe they should have saved him for a weaker San Jose squad to ease him back in and build some confidence.
Your Thoughts
What did you think of tonight’s game? Is anyone else worried about Jacob Markstrom? Should he get the nod against San Jose to show they still have confidence in him?
